Turban controversy in Shimla school

Shimla: A controversy broke out here over alleged ban imposed by a Convent school on wearing of turban by a Sikh student, with local Sikh organisation demanding that the administration take action against the school, which, however, denied the charge.
 
A student of local St Edward School complained to his parents that the Principal had asked him not to wear the turban and wear only a "patka" (small headgear) last month.
 
The local Guru Singh Sabha took up the issue with Deputy Commissioner and urged him to  take action against the school.
 
Deputy Commissioner Onkar Sharma said "the agitated members of the Sikh community have given a representation to me against the decision of the school and it is a serious issue that involves religious sentiments of Sikh community.
 
"We will call the parents, the Sikh bodies and the school management and sort out the matter".
 
However, the Principal of the school John Bosco, when contacted, said that he had never disallowed the boy to wear a turban and only asked him on the first day of this session that why he was not wearing a "patka" like other boys.
 
He told me about some religious binding, so "I asked him to call his parents and the matter ended on March 5 after I met his parents and allowed him to come in whatever way he wanted to come".
 
A "non-isssue was being made an issue now with the boy's parents nowhere in the picture", the Principal said.
 
Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha President Jaswinder Singh said an unhealthy controversy had been raised in the school.
 
"We denounce the school authorities for behaving rudely with the boy for wearing the turban and asking him to come out of the class, go back home and come with 'patka' on his head," he said. 

Work on first hydro-engineering college to start in April

Shimla: The work on country's first hydro-engineering college being established in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh would commence next month, Chief Minister P K Dhumal said.

The foundation stone of the project would be laid in April and the project would be completed within the stipulated time frame, he said.

Speaking at the concluding function of week-long State Level Nalwari Fair at Luhnu Maidan of Bilaspur, he also laid the foundation stone of sewerage scheme for the town, estimated to cost Rs 21.56 crore.

The scheme was aimed at meeting the requirements of about 65,000 population of the town upto 2040. The Chief Minister said that the proposed hydro engineering college would be first of its kind in the country where skilled youth would be produced to man hydro project constructions.

He said that there was vast potential of hydro power available in the state and sufficient skilled manpower would be required in the projects to harness this potential.

Himachal Pradesh signs MOU with NTPC for Engineering College in Bilaspur

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh government signed an MOU with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for setting up of an Engineering College with hydropower engineering a speciality in Bilaspur district of the state.
   
The MOU was signed by S.K. Dass, Principal Secretary (Technical Education) on behalf of Himachal government and S. C. Gupta, General Manager Kol Dam Hydropower Project on the behalf of NTPC in the presence of Himachal Chief Secretary, Rajwant Sandhu here.
     
Sandhu said the engineering college would be set up at a cost of Rs. 100 crore and NTPC was contributing Rs. 37.5 crore for the project.
 
The construction work would start soon.
 
This would be first engineering college of its kind in the country.
     
NTPC, which was only executing the thermal power projects, has taken the first hydropower project and was executing the 800 MW Koldam project in Bilaspur distrit.